


A Day at the Park

by SmilesRawesome



Series: Adopting Jake [3]
Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Autistic Jake Peralta, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Gen, Jake Peralta has ADHD, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 19:57:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15803520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmilesRawesome/pseuds/SmilesRawesome
Summary: They were heading across to find a picnic table when a child broke away from the play equipment, heading straight for them with a familiar mop of auburn hair.“Jakey!” She yelled.Or: Kevin and Raymond take Jake to the park where they meet up with some old friends...





	A Day at the Park

**Author's Note:**

> Here she is! Part three! Enter: Gina!! I hope you all enjoy (and please forgive me if Gina seems off, she’s hard enough to capture as an adult yoikes!)

Jake hummed to himself as he focused on his drawing, still in his pyjamas and kneeling on the library floor. Raymond was a few chairs over, working on a case from home, and Kevin was washing the dishes from breakfast. It was pretty normal for a day here so far. 

  
  


He was trying to remember how to spell Nakatomi when Kevin came back in, not a drop of water on him. Jake always got wet when he tried to help with the dishes. 

“I was wondering if you might like an outing to the park today?” Kevin asked, making Jake look up. 

“The park? Really?” He asked, a grin stretching across his face. 

“Yes. Would you please go get dressed in appropriate clothing?” 

“Okay! Thanks Kev!” Jake yelled as he ran past to get to his room, drawing forgotten in his excitement. 

  
  


Jeans, a t-shirt and a hoodie later, Jake was sitting by the door with his tongue out, focusing on getting his shoes on the right feet and doing the laces tight. After a few minutes of struggling, he sighed and stood to go find one of his guardians. 

“Raymond, could you help me? My butterflies won’t stay tied.” He asked, twisting his hands together as he stood in the doorway of the library. There were no shoes in the library. 

“Certainly, Jake, but I believe you have forgotten something.” The man answered, looking up from his case. Jake frowned for a moment. 

“Oh! Please can you help?” 

  
  


Raymond tied his shoes for him as Kevin returned with a picnic basket. Jake clapped his hands in excitement, unable to keep still as they led him out to the car. Excitement taking over him, he started babbling on about the games he and Gina used to play in their old neighbourhood park, not noticing the way they were heading out of the rich neighbourhood that they lived in. It wasn’t until they passed Sal’s Pizza that Jake finally started getting it. 

  
  


“Hey! This is near where I used to live!” Jake gasped, leaning towards the window. 

“Yes, we hoped to surprise you.” Kevin said from the front seat, one of his tiny smiles gracing his face. Jake spent the rest of the ride squirming excitedly, almost flying out of the car once they parked. 

“Jake!” Raymond snapped, making the boy stop on the pavement, bouncing in place. 

“Sorry sorry sorry I know I shouldn’t run off I’m just excited!” He gushed once they had caught up to him, beaming as they both took one of his hands and led him into the park. 

  
  


They were heading across to find a picnic table when a child broke away from the play equipment, heading straight for them with a familiar mop of auburn hair. 

“Jakey!” She yelled.

“Gina!” He yelled back, tugging on his guardians hands, dashing forward as soon as they let him go. The force of their hug ended with them both on the ground, rolling around in the grass and laughing together, reunited after over a month of being apart. So basically forever. 

  
  


“Gina I missed you so much.” Jake murmured once their rolling and laughing had stopped, just hugging the girl on top of him as tightly as he could. 

“‘Course you did, I’m the best!” Gina grinned, hugging him just as tightly. “I missed you too, just don’t tell anyone.” She added quietly, making Jake giggle. Same old Gina… 

“You wanna meet my guardians?” He asked as they stood up, holding onto each other’s hands. 

“Oh, them. Yes, absolutely. I need to make sure they’re looking after my best friend.” 

  
  


Jake grinned, looking around until he spotted Raymond standing where he’d been when Jake ran off. He led his friend over, swinging their arms and smiling so wide Jake thought his cheeks might crack. 

“Ray! This is my best friend, Gina! This is Raymond, he’s a police officer just like John McClane!” He introduced. Raymond nodded at her, holding out a hand. 

“Good morning, Miss Gina.” 

  
  


Gina took the hand but frowned slightly at the man. 

“Are you watching Jakey by yourself?” She asked, her voice on interrogation mode. 

“No, my partner and I look after him together.” He said as he took his hand back. Gina hummed, crossing her arms. 

“We should go see them as well, then. I don’t want to have to do this twice.” She smiled sweetly, but her eyes were serious. Jake snort-giggled, curious to see that way Kevin and Raymond would react to Gina’s questioning. As they made their way towards the picnic table, Jake informing Gina of everything he could think of that he’d done since they’d last seen each other, he spotted another, different, familiar figure at the table. 

  
  


“Is that Nana?” He asked, his hold on Gina’s hand tightening. 

“Well, yeah, she bought me here, duh!” 

“Nana!” Jake cried as soon as she’d finished her sentence, running forward into the woman’s arms and hugging her tightly. Her warm arms easily returned the embrace, laughing softly that he could feel rumble in her chest. He laughed too, blinking back a couple of tears that threatened to spill. 

“Hello, cherub.” The woman smiled, pulling back to cup the boy’s cheek. “I’m sorry you had to wait so long.” 

“It’s okay. I know it’s not your fault.” 

  
  


Gina and Raymond had caught up by this point, the girl climbing up onto the chair and placing her hands on her hips. 

“Alright misters, both of you on that side. I need to make sure you’re good enough for my Jake. I have questions for you two.” She said sternly, only glaring as Kevin raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Gina, dearest, do try to be polite.” Nana sighed, but knew, like Jake knew, that there would be no stopping her. 

  
  


“Okay, easy stuff first. Jake’s favourite movie?” 

“Die Hard.” Answered by Raymond. 

“Favourite colour?” 

“Blue.” Answered by Kevin. 

“Best friend?” 

“Miss Gina.” Kevin. 

“Most common nervous habit?” 

“Biting his thumb.” Raymond. 

“Favourite food?” 

“Chicken.” Kevin. 

“What does he wanna be when he grows up?” 

“A police officer.” Raymond. 

“Why?” 

“He was inspired by his favourite movie, Die Hard.” Raymond.

“What is Jake’s favourite animal?” 

“That would be… the frill neck lizard.” Raymond. 

“Where does he want to go on vacation?” 

“DisneyLand.” Kevin. 

“Favourite pizza place?” 

“That subject has not come up, we don’t often eat pizza.” Kevin.

  
  


“Wait, you’ve had Jakey for a whole month and you haven’t had pizza once?! What the H?” Gina exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air dramatically. Nana sighed, reaching out to touch her elbow. 

“Not everyone likes the same things, dearest.” 

“I know that, but  _ Jake _ likes pizza! And you guys are supposed to be looking after him!” She insisted, crossing her arms and glaring at the two men. Kevin gave a sort of half nod, as if conceding Gina’s point. 

“If Jake likes pizza, I can make some occasionally.” He offered, making Jake blink. 

  
  


“You can  _ make _ pizza?!” He asked excitedly, bouncing on the spot. “I thought you could only buy it!” 

“Someone has to make it for you to buy it, yes?” Kevin offered as an explanation. “It’s a fairly simple recipe, I wouldn’t mind experimenting in the kitchen with it.” 

  
  


Jake beamed, bouncing on the spot while Gina sighed. 

“Alright, fine, but I still have two more questions. What is your opinion on ice cream for dinner and do you have any dogs?” She asked, raising her eyebrows. 

“We would certainly not be having ice cream for dinner, but Kevin and I are both open to the idea of a pet in the household.” Raymond answered her. Gina studied them both for a moment before nodding once. 

“Fine. I suppose you’re okay. Come on, Jakey, we have to go decide who’s game we’re playing first.” 

  
  


They ended up playing a Princess Bride/Die Hard mix game, crawling through tunnels and swinging from monkey bars that they pretended were anything but (well, Jake did those things, Gina was the leader of the group who did the ordering). Jake hadn’t had this much fun in ages, having the time of his life getting grass stains on his knees and letting his curls fly wildly in the wind from the swingset. 

  
  


They were called over for lunch, Jake giving his best friend a piggyback ride to the table. Climbing up onto one of the chairs, he gasped in delight at the spread, featuring some of his favourite homemade treats. 

“Rugelach!” He squealed, reaching out for one. 

“Uh-uh, those are for dessert, young man. If you want some of my cooking, I brought matzo ball soup to share.” Nana interrupted, stopping his hand before he could grab one. Jake gasped again, reaching over for one of the plastic bowls. 

“Yes yes yes!!! Please can I have some?” He beamed, kicking his legs as the woman reached for the container. 

“Of course you can, with such lovely manners.” 

  
  


The mix of Kevin and Nana’s food was a good lunch for everyone there, the children chattering and occasionally getting themselves into small competitions, the adults engaging them but also trying to make them eat enough healthy things before letting them on the desserts. Once everyone was satisfied, and all the containers packed again except for the water bottles, they were let off to play again with a punnet of strawberries. 

  
  


Jake and Gina crawled into the secluded section underneath the structure between the stairs, the mini rock wall and the slide, opening their parcel of fruit and pulling off the leaves. 

“Okay, serious talk time, Jakey. How have you been doing?” Gina asked, biting into her fruit. Jake shrugged, biting into his own as he thought. 

“I’m… doing a little better, I think. I still miss her, and dad. I’ve missed you and Nana too. Kevin and Raymond are… nice. I think. I mean, they’re nice, but they don’t smile much. Especially Raymond. Kevin does like a little tiny one sometimes. I don’t really know what they’re feeling, but they talk to me like I’m a grown up, so I guess that’s cool.” 

  
  


He sighed, leaning against one of the walls and chewing on another piece of fruit. 

“Everything’s just so weird, Gina. Sometimes I forget she’s even gone, like she’s gonna come back from work. But she won’t. And I’m tryin’ real hard to be happy ‘cause I know she wanted me too, but I’m just sad.” He fiddled with the leaves on a new strawberry as Gina shifted to sit next to him, shoulder to shoulder. 

“My mum told me that it was okay to be sad, as long as you don’t try and keep yourself sad when you do realise you’re happy.” She offered quietly, giving him a rare genuine smile. 

  
  


Jake smiled back, hugging her tight for a moment. 

“Thanks.” He murmured. 

“Anytime.” 

  
  


xxxxxxxxxx

  
  


Jake fell asleep in the car on the way back to Kevin and Raymond’s house, a smile on his face at the promise of sleepovers at Nana’s and with her on first dibs for babysitting once Kevin went back to work after summer. 

  
  


He might not always get them, but they seemed to understand him. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all so so much for reading!! Please PLEASE let me know your thoughts in the comments, they literally make my whole day and keep me writing <3 find me on tumblr @autisticbillybatsons, and, if there’s a situation in the Cozner/Holt/Peralta family you wanna see, leave a comment! ;)


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